Non-League and Academy football writer

Barkingside hosted May & Baker ECFC on Monday night at The Cricklefield Stadium. Barkingside started this Thurlow Nunn Eastern Counties League Division One South fixture in 15th place in the league, with May & Baker ECFC starting the match in 11th place in the league. This match finished 4-2 to May & Baker ECFC. During the early stages of the match, Barkingside player Jack Allen hit an effort wide of the May & Baker goal from distance. The first real chance of the match for the away side arrived a couple of minutes later. With Daniel Jones’ curling effort from the left side of the Barkingside penalty area, being pushed behind for a corner-kick by Barkingside goalkeeper Lubomir Georgiev. After Fred Agyemang had got onto the ball following a long pass, the Barkingside centre-forward hit a low effort wide of the May & Baker goal, from the right side of the May & Baker penalty area. On the balance of play Barkingside had been the better team at this stage of the match. And after Jack Ferris had won a free-kick on the edge of the May & Baker penalty area, Jack Allen stepped-up to take the resulting free-kick. The Barkingside midfielder curling a really good effort over the May & Baker wall, and into the left corner of Jack Riddell’s goal, 1-0.

Barkingside would double their advantage in the match, not long after taking the lead. Jack Allen had received the ball on the edge of the May & Baker box, before quickly looking up at the goal and powerfully finding the left corner of their goal, 2-0. However, May & Baker finished the second half strongly. After Barkingside were unable to clear the ball inside of their penalty area, Idris Aminu had an effort from close range, saved and gathered well by Lubomir Georgiev. Then, a couple of minutes later, May & Baker managed to get their first goal of the game. Idris Aminu’s low ball across the face of Lubomir Georgiev’s goal from the right side of the Barkingside penalty area found Bobby Breen at the back post, and he finished into the goal from close range, 2-1. And just before half-time, Ollie Beadle met a pass on the edge of the Barkingside box, but his fine first time side-footed effort was well saved by Lubomir Georgiev. Early on in the second half John Mbamarah hit an effort from distance wide for Barkingside, before Joseph Koroma had a low effort from the edge of the May & Baker penalty area, saved by Jack Riddell.

Despite Barkingside initially starting the second half quite well, it was May & Baker who got an important equalising goal, just after Adrijus Lapacinskas put the ball just wide of the May & Baker goal, following a good run with the ball. The equalising goal arrived after a free-kick, which was delivered into the Barkingside box by Anthony Cooke, was initially steered towards goal (with Lubomir Georgiev making a save from Eamon Payne), with Daniel Jones then finishing into the goal from close range on the follow up, 2-2. There weren’t a lot of chances that didn’t result in goals, during the second half. May & Baker would take the lead in this competitive game, after Anthony Cooke’s free-kick delivery from the left side of the pitch was initially kept out of the goal by Lubomir Georgiev, before Bobby Breen got on the ball and finished into the goal, 2-3. Following a through-ball pass by Idris Aminu, to Lawrie Wiggins, he was tripped by Harry Baker inside the Barkingside penalty, resulting in the referee pointing to the penalty spot. Wiggins stepped-up to send the goalkeeper the wrong way from the penalty spot, as he finished low into the goal, 2-4.

Late on in the match Joao Rodrigues, who had a good game for May & Baker, was sent off after being shown his second yellow card of the match. May & Baker ECFC are a good team, who don’t give up, regardless of the score, and their second half performance was good on Monday, and they managed the game well. However, Barkingside played some good football, and they were particularly good in the first half of the match, but they’ll be disappointed that they had allowed the away side to get back into the match in the first place. Influential May & Baker ECFC player Bobby Breen was my player of the match.